


Burning Love

by Nathan_Thorn



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27743068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nathan_Thorn/pseuds/Nathan_Thorn
Summary: Pyrrha and Ruby are both left on the brink of death after the Fall of Beacon. Hurt/comfort as they try to help each other recover from their injuries.
Relationships: Jaune Arc/Weiss Schnee, Pyrrha Nikos/Ruby Rose
Comments: 7
Kudos: 77





	1. The Fight

Pyrrha cursed as she watched the rocket locker take off, and with it, her partner. She hated that she had to do it, but if he was hurt, or worse… she wouldn’t be able to control herself. She’d probably… she needed to make sure she had something to fight for. Something to go back to. If she made it out of this.

She began walking towards the tower. This could be the last thing she ever did. All the regrets and missed opportunities began to wash over her, but she blocked them out. All except one… telling Ruby she saw her as more than a friend.

First, though… Cinder had to be held off. She wasn’t going to let anyone else be hurt because of her. The school and city were both being ravaged by Grimm, and she couldn’t help blaming herself for it. If she hadn’t killed Penny… oh god, she had killed Penny, hadn’t she… No, no time to think about that now… she had a fight to win, to keep everyone else safe.

She stepped across the entrance, heading for the elevator. Her semblance pried open the door with barely any effort, and she stepped inside, sealing it in case of an ambush and riding it towards the top of the tower. Before she reached the top, she hopped up into the access hatch and laid down on top of the elevator, bringing out her rifle and aiming it towards the doors, ready for Cinder to attack her.

The doors at the top were closed, and she slowly pried them open, giving herself a better view of the rooftop. Cinder was nowhere to be seen. She dragged them open and jumped out quickly, landing on her feet and scanning the roof for her.

She found her just in time as Cinder hurled a fireball at her, from her perch on top of the elevator shaft. Pyrrha batted it away with her shield before firing off a few rounds at Cinder, which she easily deflected.

Cinder charged at her, twin scimitars closing together, trying to take her head off, but Pyrrha ducked the swing and countered with two quick jabs of her spear, throwing Cinder off and forcing her to land.

She continued firing, until her magazine was empty, and Cinder went back on the offensive, throwing fireballs and shooting the occasional arrow at her. Pyrrha kept up her defense, turning aside each shot, and beginning to fight back with her semblance, ripping gears and chunks of metal from the area and throwing them at Cinder.

Once Cinder was thrown off balance by a hit from behind, Pyrrha saw her opportunity and threw her spear, aiming for her chest. Cinder swayed aside and caught the weapon, before melting it with her powers, and threw one last fireball at Pyrrha. She focused on blocking it, but the bright flames blinded her for a moment, and her opponent was gone.

Pyrrha spun around, trying to locate Cinder before she struck, but she wasn’t fast enough. Cinder slid past her, her blade laying open Pyrrha’s back from shoulder to hip. She cried out in pain and collapsed, the wound too much for her.

Tears began to well up in her eyes as her world shrunk to the open wound on her back and the vague threat of Cinder. Spots clouded her vision as she tried to crawl away, burning with pain as she tried to move even an inch.

Pyrrha was scared. She was in pain, hurt badly, but above all else she was scared. She could barely focus on anything past the burning, painful wound on her back, and it took most of her strength just to focus her eyes on Cinder.

She stared up at her, tears in her eyes, and knew it was the end. Gods, she wished she could go back and do everything different. Leave with Jaune. Say no to Ozpin’s offer. Run away and go back home. Anything but this.

She could see Cinder as she raised her sword. “Any last words?” She asked, taunting her. Pyrrha managed to force her mouth to work, spitting out one last question. “Tell me... do you believe... in destiny?” Cinder paused for a moment.

And Ruby struck, her scythe blade slashing into Cinder’s aura, launching her back and towards the edge of the roof. She continued the assault, her attacks savage and fierce, forcing Cinder on the defensive. “You-“ _clang_ “-stay away-“ _slash_ “-from my friend!”

Even as Ruby forced Cinder back, Pyrrha could see she was starting to falter, her scythe not suited to such close quarters fighting, and she was already being pushed back.

Pyrrha struggled to move, but was able to finally lift her shield arm, putting her last bit of aura in launching her shield towards her friend. “Catch!” She shouted hoarsely, before collapsing back against the ground, fading in and out of consciousness.

Ruby grabbed her shield and used it, compacting crescent rose into its rifle form and blasting wildly at Cinder, the shots glancing off her aura, draining it.

Eventually Cinder had enough and summoned up a wall of fire, Ruby losing sight of her as the wall of flames flew towards her. Her mind was only on one thing, though. Protecting Pyrrha. She leapt back and wrapped herself around her friend, using her shield and her own scythe to protect them as best she could.

The wall of flames made impact, and Ruby felt an intense flash of pain as it washed over them. She struggled to open her eyes against the smoke and could smell something strange, which she eventually recognized as her own burnt skin. She felt a foot on her side that turned her over, Cinder staring down at her with a smirk.

“No more last words, Little Red.” She spat, raising her sword. Ruby did the only thing she could. She began to cry, weeping more for Pyrrha than herself, and suddenly a bright silver light shot from her eyes, burning Cinder and the massive Grimm dragon, turning it to stone as Ruby collapsed back next to Pyrrha.

Pyrrha managed to crawl over to Ruby, looking to help, but there was nothing she could do, not with how weak she was. Ruby looked up at her, blinking tears from her eyes. “Pyrrha... I... love... you...” she managed to choke out before collapsing, her eyes shutting as she fell into a deep sleep after the intense battle.

Pyrrha held her, cradling her head as best she could, but she could tell that she, herself, was fading, and struggled to stay awake. She could hear the sound of a bullhead and Jaune’s voice yelling for them. “Pyrrha? Ruby? Pyrrha? Where are you guys?”

Pyrrha struggled to lift her arm, a vain attempt to get their attention, but eventually the ship’s spotlights fell on them, blinding her. She shut her eyes against the glare and collapsed back against the ground, still holding Ruby protectively.

She could see Jaune and Qrow on the ramp as they landed the ship, both rushing out to pick them up as another swarm of Grimm began to mass around the city. She reached out her hand towards Jaune before she fainted, the strain of the battle and her wounds finally catching up to her.


	2. Chapter 2

Pyrrha slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the bright light reflecting off the tile. That was odd… she realized she was lying on her stomach, as the fight slowly came back to her. 

She remembered fighting, using her semblance without holding back… Cinder fighting Ozpin, sending Jaune away… the Grimm, all the Grimm that had been swarming because… because she had killed Penny. 

Pyrrha began to cry, softly, realizing what she had done. Penny had been a good friend to all of them and now… she was dead. Even worse, she was Ruby’s best friend… gods, there was no way she’d forgive her.

She let the tears run down her face until she felt a gentle hand cup her cheek, wiping away some of her tears with a thumb. She looked up to see Jaune, crouching so that she could see him. 

“Jaune?” She asked hoarsely, making an attempt to move her arms. “Hey, hey… it’s ok, Pyr… we’re all fine. You’re safe, Ruby’s safe, everyone is gonna be ok…”

“Not… not everyone…” Pyrrha said, sadly. “Penny… Jaune, I killed her. She may have been a robot… but I still killed her! What do I do Ruby is gonna hate me oh gods what if she never forgives me…” she trailed off into tears again, and Jaune hugged her as best he could, resting her head against his shoulder.

“There, there… you don’t have to worry about that, Pyr… Pietro’s already putting her back together in Atlas… she’ll be fine.”

“R-Really?” Pyrrha asked, her crying beginning to slow. 

“Yeah… she’s gonna be just fine. And nobody thinks this was your fault. So please don’t blame yourself for what happened. For right now, just… focus on resting and healing. You’re still hurt pretty badly, so don’t do anything too crazy, alright?”

“Alright, but… how’s Ruby doing?” She asked, hoping Ruby had fared better than her. 

“Not… not well…” Jaune said, looking down. “She’ll live, but… it’s gonna be a while before she’s ready to fight again. And… there’s a good chance she won’t be able to use her arm again. It’s burnt really badly. I wish I had better news, Pyr, I really do. I’m sorry.” He hugged her again, as best as he could with her in such an awkward position.

“Well… at least she’ll… she’ll be ok.” She said, her voice cracking a bit. “Can you… can you go see if she’s awake?” She asked. “Here… video call me with your scroll… so I can see her…”

“I’ll go check, but she’s probably gonna be out of it for a while. Her aura’s still not stable, hasn’t been since the night you guys fought Cinder. She… she started calling for you in her sleep, when she was having a nightmare. Maybe once you’re patched up you can help her.”

“Alright… thank you, Jaune. Before you go… how are the others? Nora and Ren, Blake and Weiss and Yang?”

“Nora and Ren are fine, a little banged up but fine. Weiss is still here with Ruby, but her father is pressuring her to come home soon and she hasn’t slept in days. Yang… someone named Adam attacked her and Blake. She tried to defend Blake but… he cut off her arm. She’s… she’s in a bad way.

“Blake got hurt pretty badly too, she’s still laid up in bed. She’ll recover but it’s been hard for her. She’s been blaming herself about Yang getting hurt, and Weiss has been doing the same about Ruby. I just… I hope they’re able to make things right, when they get back to talking again.”

“Gods… Yang… Weiss… and Blake… I screwed things up pretty bad, didn’t I?” 

“Pyrrha, this isn’t your fault. None of it is. Can you… can you please try to hold it together for a bit? I’ve been trying to comfort Weiss, Blake and Yang… I don’t know if I’ve got it in me to help you right now. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s ok Jaune… I understand. Ren could get the same way during Nora’s panic attacks. Just… take your time. And one more thing… wanna grab Ninjas of Love from RWBY’s dorm? I’ve always wanted to read it.”

“Yeah… sure thing, Pyr. I’ll see you in a bit, alright?”

“Alright Jaune… thank you again… for everything.”

————————————————————-

Weiss was crying again. She’d lost count of how many times it had happened. Sitting there and seeing Ruby so… quiet… gods Ruby should be awake and laughing and making her laugh, not… not in a coma with 3rd degree burns.

Weiss looked at her again, trying to remind herself Ruby would recover. She was covered in bandages, her left leg and left side of her torso completely wrapped with gauze. Those had gotten the worst of it, 3rd degree burns that had made her skin look like overdone steak. Pyrrha’s shield, despite being half melted in the process, had done its job and protected Ruby’s head and left arm, although there were still bandages on them. The heat had still burned her skin, though not as badly as lower down. 

Ruby’s right side hadn’t fared much better, 2nd degrees burns almost completely covering her leg and arm. She looked like a mummy with the bandages wrapped around her limbs and torso. Weiss stroked her hair gently, one of the few things to survive the fire unscathed. 

“Oh, Ruby… I’m so sorry… I should’ve done more, anything to help you… this is all my fault… I know I could’ve stopped this.” She collapsed back into a chair in the room, sobbing into her hands. 

Suddenly she found herself pulled into a tight hug, her face buried in someone’s chest. She looked up to see Nora hugging her, and hugged back, sobbing into her shirt. 

“Shh… shh… it’s alright… look, it wasn’t your fault. If you hadn’t sent her up there, Pyrrha could’ve died. I know she’s hurt but everyone is alive and recovering. Please, just… come with me for a bit. You look like you could use some fresh air.”

Nora took her hand and led her out of the room as Jaune entered, looking like he hadn’t slept in years. “How’s Pyrrha doing?” She asked.

“She’s gonna be alright, just… I can’t stop thinking about what would’ve happened if Ruby hadn’t been there. She’d be… she’d be gone. I can’t… I can’t imagine what I’d do… without her… without any of you.” He began to cry a bit, the tears in his eyes coming more from his lack of sleep than sadness.

“Come here,” Nora said, wrapping an arm around him, and the other around Weiss. “You two are going to go get some sleep. It’s been two days since either of you have slept in a proper bed and you look like… and not to be mean but you guys look like shit.”

They protested weakly but Nora carried them both back to team JNPR’s dorm and half helping, half tossing Jaune onto his bed. She laid Weiss on her own bed, before helping them each out of their combat outfits. 

“Gods, you guys stink… come on, Weiss, let’s go get you cleaned up.” She said, pulling Weiss to her feet and helping her stagger into the bathroom. She started the water running before giving Ren a call on her scroll.

“Nora?”

“Ren, can you come back to the dorm and help give Jaune a shower? He could really use it and I’m a bit busy with Weiss right now.”

“Sure thing, Nora. I’ll be there in a bit.” He hung up, and Nora put her scroll down on the counter. 

“Alright Weiss, let’s get you cleaned up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one minor note, do not expect a regular upload schedule. Holidays and school and work are insane.


	3. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summaries are dumb

Pyrrha woke up. She blinked against the light for a moment, then realized something was off. She was lying on her back. Her back! Sure, it was sore, and she knew she’d probably be cursing herself later, but she’d turned onto her back and not woken up! She was healing… slowly, but she was healing.

She tried stretching again, testing her various limbs. Her legs were fine, but her right arm still pulled at the wound on her back. Her left one wasn’t as bad, but it still tugged at the wound uncomfortably.

She heard something. Soft, then louder, then quieting. Sirens? No, not quite. It was a voice. Was that… Ruby? And she was… crying. Pyrrha carefully stood up and began to walk as fast as she could manage towards Ruby’s room. Her left leg was still a bit sore, causing a slight limp in her gait, but she was still at Ruby’s room in under a minute. 

“Ruby?” She asked as she barged in, seeing no one else in the room. Pyrrha launched herself at Ruby’s bed, stumbling to a stop right next to her. Her senses started coming back, and she realized how much she’d exhausted herself on the way over. She heard the beeping of the heart monitor connected to Ruby. Then she heard Ruby crying again, something about… about her.

“Pyr… Pyrrha… please… don’t go… don’t leave me… please,” she cried out, tossing and turning. Pyrrha grabbed her and pulled her in for a hug, letting her cry into her shoulder. 

“Hey, hey… it’s alright… I’m here, Ruby… I’m right here… shh… I’m here… everything is gonna be alright…” Pyrrha cradled Ruby’s head, stroking her hair. “I’m right here… I won’t let anything hurt you…”

Ruby’s crying began to slow, and her movements became less erratic. She slowly opened her eyes, seeing Pyrrha’s chest and shoulder directly in her face. “Pyr?” She asked, her voice fearful.

“Yeah, Ruby… it’s me. I’m here now… you were having a nightmare. I’m sorry I wasn’t… wasn’t here sooner.” Pyrrha said, tearing up a bit. 

“Hey… don’t cry, Pyr… please don’t cry…” Ruby pleaded, weakly trying to move but failing. “Please, Pyr… I love you so much… please tell me I’m not making you cry.”

“Of course not, Ruby… I was just… worried… I love you too!” Pyrrha said, hugging Ruby again. “I’m so… gods I’m glad you feel the same way… I was so worried for so long that you… that you wouldn’t feel the same about me.

“Oh, Pyr… I’m sorry. It just seemed like you had a lot to deal with without a girlfriend, so… I didn’t want to put so much pressure on you. You always said you didn’t wanna be this perfect girl anymore, and that you felt lonely… and we were already such good friends, I didn't want to ruin what we had.

“Anything, Ruby… just ask.”

“Could you... go get me some food? I haven’t eaten in… how long has it been? 

“About a... week now? Maybe 10 days? Sorry, I’ve been sleeping a lot, I’ve lost track. I’ll be right back with some food. And Ruby?” She asked as she approached the door. “Anything specific? The cafeteria has a lot of stuff.”

“Can you see if there’s any waffles? I don’t care what Nora says, they’re better than pancakes!”

Pyrrha snorted. Gods, Ruby could be funny even when she wasn’t trying to be. “Yeah… I think they’ve got waffles for you.” 

“And don’t forget to grab some… some… strawberries!”

“Yes, Ruby… I’ll get you some strawberries. Milk too?”

“Yeah! And cookies if they have some!”

“I’ll see if they have any, Ruby.”

“Thanks Pyr! You’re the best!”

Pyrrha limped down the hall, heading towards the smell of food. As she got closer, she heard something off. Someone breathing heavily, like they were trying to push through something painful. She rounded the corner to see… “Yang?”

—————————————————————

Weiss woke up first. As she opened her eyes, she noticed she was wearing a set of Nora’s pajamas, and there was a pair of arms wrapped around her. She looked up to see Jaune, his arms holding her close to him.

She had her arms wrapped around him as well, like they had been snuggling the whole night through. She tried not to wake Jaune up, but he began to wake when she slipped out from between his arms. 

He was kinda cute when he was asleep, Weiss thought, before stretching her arms over her head. She felt amazing, like she’d slept in the massive feather bed she had back at the Schnee manor. How long had they been out?

She checked the clock, as Jaune stretched and crawled out of bed behind her. “What happened-“  _ yawn _ “happened last night?” He asked, as she squinted to read the numbers on the clock. 

“We dragged you two into bed after we got you two cleaned up,” Nora called from the kitchen. “We were gonna leave you in separate beds but you two wouldn’t stop crying and having nightmares… when we put you in the same bed, you seemed to calm down a bunch and actually sleep so… we left you there. You’ve been sleeping for like, 16 hours or so. I made breakfast, so come and eat up!”

“16 hours?” Weiss asked, shocked. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t sleep longer, with how long you two were awake. Ruby and Pyrrha are both still bedridden, and Ruby hasn’t woken up, as far as we know. We can pop in and visit them later, but eat up first. You’ll need the energy.”

Jaune smiled and gladly headed over to the kitchenette, smiling at the pile of pancakes and heart shaped strawberries. Meanwhile, Weiss’ pancakes were topped with a simple pat of butter, and a heart made of blueberries was laid out around them. “Nora, you shouldn’t have!” Jaune said, before digging in, drizzling the pancakes with syrup before devouring them. 

Weiss began to more delicately eat hers, slicing the pancakes apart and spreading the butter, letting it melt into the pancakes before taking small bites of the fluffy food. “This is amazing, Nora,” she said, eating faster as she realized how good they were. 

“Where’s Ren?” Weiss asked, surprised he wasn’t there. 

“He’s off helping with some of the repairs on the school. Winter’s been using commandeered SDC ships to transport materials back and forth between Atlas and here at Beacon. That’s also how Penny got back for repairs, and how we’re already rebuilding so quickly. Beacon should be ready to reopen in a few months!”

“That’s amazing… I should go stop and see her at some point, too,” Weiss said. 

“Yeah… after we visit Ruby and Pyr, though. I’m still worried about them,” Jaune said. 

“Alright, then it’s settled. We’ll head to the hospital first to check up on the girls, and then stop and see Winter when she drops off the mail. Weird to think we’ve been reduced back to pen and paper mail with the CCT down, though,” Nora mused. 

“Let’s go,” Jaune said, and Nora followed, Weiss staying behind for a moment to shovel the blueberries into her mouth. Nora looked back to make sure she was coming, and Weiss smiled wide, her teeth blue from the blueberries. Nora giggled at it and even Jaune smirked at Weiss as she stuck her blue tongue out at them, before hurrying to catch up.


End file.
